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Miner, E. D.

Publications and source records attributed to Miner, E. D..

23 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1976

Mariner 10 infrared radiometer results - Temperatures and thermal properties of the surface of Mercury

Mariner 10 infrared brightness temperatures of the surface of Mercury at 11 and 45 microns are presented. The data were obtained during the first flyby along a near-equatorial swath extending from 17 hours local time through local midnight to 9 hours local time. For an assumed emissivity of 0.9, derived surface thermal inertias are between 0.0015 and 0.0031 cal/sq cm/sq root sec/K and the implied minimum predawn surface kinetic temperature for the warm pole at longitude 270 deg is near 93 K. Several pronounced thermal inhomogeneities were seen, one of which appears to coincide with a region of high radar reflectivity. The derived thermal properties, the electrical skin depth, and loss tangent fall within the range of values found on the moon.

Chase, S. C., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Jovian system science issues and implications for a Mariner Jupiter Orbiter mission

Science goals for missions to Jupiter in the early 1980's are reviewed and a case is made for the science community to play the key role in assigning relative priorities for these goals. A reference set of measurement requirements and their priorities is established and those high priority goals that are most demanding on spacecraft and mission design are used to develop a reference mission concept. An orbiter mission is required to satisfy a majority of the measurements, and a spacecraft data handling capability as least equivalent to the Mariner Jupiter/Saturn spacecraft is the major system design driver. This reference Mission Concept is called Mariner Jupiter Orbiter. The remaining measurement requirements are reviewed in light of the potential science return of this mission, and certain options are developed to augment this science return. Two attractive options fulfill high priority objectives not achieved by the reference Mariner Jupiter Orbiter mission alone: an atmospheric entry probe, released prior to orbit insertion; and a daughter satellite dedicated to particle and fields measurements, ejected into an independent orbit about Jupiter.

Beckman, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Preliminary infrared radiometry of the night side of Mercury from Mariner 10

The infrared radiometer on Mariner 10 measured the thermal emission from the planet with a spatial resolution element as small as 40 kilometers in a broad wavelength band centered at 45 micrometers. The minimum brightness temperature (near local midnight) in these near-equatorial scans was 100 K. Along the track observed, the temperature declined steadily from local sunset to near midnight, behaving as would be expected for a homogeneous, porous material with a thermal inertia only slightly larger than that of the moon. From near midnight to dawn, however, the temperature fluctuated over a range of about 10 K.

Chase, S. C.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Preliminary infrared radiometry of Venus from Mariner 10

The intensity of emission at 45 micrometers, measured with high spatial resolution along a single crossing of the Venus disk, is presented. On the average, the observed darkening toward the limb varies nearly linearly with the cosine of the emission angle. The brightness temperature, extrapolated to normal emission, is 255 K. The limb darkening curve, interpreted in a linear approximation, implies that the atmosphere is quite opaque, with an absorption coefficient of 0.24 per kilometer. Changes in curvature present in the limb darkening curve suggest the existence of thermal inhomogeneities with scale comparable to that of the dark markings shown by ultraviolet images.

Chase, S. C.↗